


Haircuts

by DJBunn3



Series: Bruises [2]
Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Angst, Fights, Fluff, Friendship, Growing Up, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, hide knows all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-17
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-15 13:44:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8058604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DJBunn3/pseuds/DJBunn3
Summary: He’s reaching up to put the star on top of the tree when Hide walks in from the kitchen.
  
  “That really is an ugly sweater, Kaneki,” he says, gesturing to the green and off-white cable knit jumper Kaneki’s wearing.
  
  “It keeps me warm,” he replies, shrugging his shoulders. He doesn’t add that the low turtleneck is just high enough to hide the fresh bruises blooming on his skin.





	

\- i. Haircuts -  
“There,” Hide says, ripping the bandage with his teeth and tucking the loose end into one of the folds around Kaneki’s arm.  
“Thanks, Hide.” It comes out muffled and stuffy, partly because he’s still crying, mostly because he’s pressing a cotton ball under his nose to stop the bleeding.  
“You have to stop getting into these fights, tough guy,” Hide replies, smoothing the bandage over his hand again.  
“I wasn’t fighting,” Kaneki reminds him, removing the cotton and throwing it into the trash can.  
“I know, Pacifist Kaneki.” Closing his eyes, Hide pretends to meditate for a second. “So, what were you _not_ fighting over?”  
“Just the usual bully stuff.” Kaneki scuffs the rubber of his shoe over the linoleum of the bathroom floor. It makes an awkward squeaking sound, which at least fills the gap between his sentences. “They said I was a bookworm nerd with no friends, and that you only hung out with me because you felt bad for me.”  
“Hey! That’s not true,” Hide says. “You didn’t believe them, did you?”  
“Of course not.” Kaneki manages a half-hearted smile, touching his chin thoughtfully. “It’s no wonder they tried to make me, though. You’re so popular, Hide. Everyone likes you.”  
“So? That’s just cause I put myself out there.” Hide grins teasingly. “If you talked to people, you’d be popular, too.”  
“Yeah, maybe so. But I don’t care if I’m popular or not.”  
Hide looks surprised. “Don’t you?” he asks. “I thought everyone cared a little.”  
“I don’t. Not until they tell me things like ‘You don’t deserve to be Nagachika’s friend’. That’s what gets to me.”  
“Did they tell you that?” Hide asks. Kaneki shrugs.  
“I know you’re not gonna leave me, Hide. You’re too nice to do that.”  
Hide blinks. “Nice? But that’s not right.”  
“ _Sure_ it isn’t,” Kaneki replies, his voice heavy with sarcasm.  
“Listen, Kaneki, I’m here for completely selfish reasons.” Hide grins, his tongue poking out from between his teeth. “I like that you don’t care if you’re popular. It makes me not care either.”  
When his friend still hesitates, Hide pokes him in the forehead. “Did they say anything else?” he asks.  
Kaneki shrugs. “They said I had stupid hair.”  
“And do you believe _that_?”  
“I dunno,” he says, eyes moving up to the end of his long bangs. “Maybe. I don’t really know much about hair.”  
“Well,” Hide says, a grin clearly evident in his voice, and produces a pair of safety scissors from his pocket. “If you want, we can fix that.”  
Kaneki’s a little nervous, but he lets Hide cut his hair. He tries not worry about what his aunt will say when she sees it. He tries not to think about the screaming, or the words she’ll say. He doesn’t imagine the object she will grab to hurl at him. A lamp, his books.  
Hide could be a hairdresser when he grows up. He has magic fingers.

\- ii. Rollercoaster -  
There’s a carnival in town, and Hide’s itching to go.  
Kaneki, not so much. They’re too loud and too social for him, plus they cost money that he doesn’t have.  
Hide, being Hide, scrounges up enough for both of them, and before he knows what’s happening, he’s being dragged along.  
“We have to go on the ferris wheel, okay?” Hide says, tugging Kaneki by the hand. “But let’s wait until sunset. It’ll be prettier that way.”  
“Sure,” Kaneki replies, only half listening. His vision is a little blurry from the hunger eating away at his stomach, and the lack of sleep.  
“You look like you didn’t get any sleep last night,” Hide comments. _He can read me so well,_ Kaneki thinks.  
“I was up talking to you, remember?” he says. Hide shrugs, scratching his head.  
“Sorry, Kaneki. I thought you woulda slept in.”  
Kaneki smiles sheepishly. “I’m fine. Where would you like to go first?”  
“The rollercoaster, obviously!” Hide points to the huge metal ramps a little ways to their left. “Come on, it’ll be fun!”  
Kaneki’s stomach twists. “I don’t know, Hide,” he says uncertainly. “Maybe I’ll just sit this one out.”  
“Oh, come on! It’s supposed to be the scariest ride here. One guy even died on it, you know.” Hide lowers his voice as if he’s sharing some big secret.  
“That’s not true,” Kaneki says.  
“Yes it is! Amakata-san told me about it. She heard it from her sister, 'cause her sister worked here last year.”  
Kaneki shakes his head. “You go ahead and enjoy it.”  
“Not without you!”  
For the second time today, Kaneki finds himself stumbling after Hide. “Hey! Come on, let go!”  
Hide immediately releases his grip on Kaneki’s wrist. “Sorry, sorry!”  
Kaneki blinks. “It’s fine,” he says. “Do I really need to go on this thing?”  
“Yes! I told you, it’s gonna be super scary.”  
“I know, I know.”  
Hide grins slyly. “Don’t tell me you’re scared,” he teases.  
“I am, actually!” Kaneki replies. If Hide can read him well enough, there’s no point in lying. “I’d rather not _die_ , even if that is a made-up story.”  
“You’re not gonna die, cause I’m gonna be there with you.”  
The woman working the roller coaster for the day looks up. “You kids goin’ on the coaster?” she asks friendlily.  
“Yep!” Hide says, smiling proudly. The woman gestures to a height chart.  
“You gotta be this tall to ride,” she says, gesturing to a notch on the chart and gesturing for them to come up. Hide clears it easily, but Kaneki knows before the woman even speaks that he’ll be too short for it.  
“Sorry, buddy. Looks like you still got a few months ‘fore you’re ready.”  
Kaneki breathes a sigh of relief, and actually considers thanking the lady for saving him. Hide, for his part, doesn’t look very disappointed.  
“I guess you’ll have to go without me,” Kaneki says.  
“Are you kidding? I’m not going without you,” Hide replies. “We’ll just wait for the next festival.”  
“But- are you sure?”  
Hide laughs lightly. “Of course I’m sure. There will be other roller coasters, you know.”  
“Yeah, but-”  
“Come on, Kaneki! I’m hungry now, so let’s go get something to eat. On me.”  
_He can read me so well,_ Kaneki thinks again.

\- iii. Christmas -  
He’s reaching up to put the star on top of the tree when Hide walks in from the kitchen.  
“That really is an ugly sweater, Kaneki,” he says, gesturing to the green and off-white cable knit jumper Kaneki’s wearing.  
“I got it for my birthday. And it keeps me warm,” he replies, shrugging his shoulders. He doesn’t add that the low turtleneck is just high enough to hide the fresh bruises blooming on his skin.  
“You know, Kaneki, you’re really unlucky that your birthday’s so close to Christmas,” Hide says.  
“We can’t all be as lucky as you,” Kaneki replies. “Besides, June isn’t exactly ideal, either.”  
“Hey!” Hide protests. “What’s wrong with a June birthday?”  
Kaneki rolls his eyes. “It’s too hot, for one,” he says, ticking the list off on his fingers. “And it’s over the summer, so people are out of town.”  
“So what? I only need one other person to celebrate. Plus summer birthdays mean pool parties, which means lots of girls, right?”  
“You would say that.”  
Hide pokes one of the ornaments hanging from the tree and watches it sway back and forth. “Did you get to celebrate your birthday this year?”  
“I celebrated with you, remember? Hamburger steak? Birthday bagel?”  
“Yeah, but…” He shrugs. “Did your aunt do anything?”  
“She, uh, congratulated me,” Kaneki says.  
“Let me guess.” Hide spins in a circle dramatically and puts on a stupid face. “Congrats on another year of useless ugly pointless existence, Kaneki! I hope you’re not around to see your next birthday.”  
Kaneki’s not about to admit how close Hide is. “It wasn’t so bad,” he says. “And besides, she let you come over, didn’t she?”  
“When does that she demon get back again?”  
“Hide! Don’t call her that,” Kaneki chides. “She’s family.”  
“Not really,” Hide says, and for a second he looks lost in thought. “She’s not family to me,” he clarifies, hand flying up to touch his chin. “You know what I meant.”  
“Yeah,” Kaneki says, although he really doesn’t.  
Without warning, Hide wraps his arms around Kaneki’s waist and picks him up. Kaneki yelps and glares down at him.  
“What are you doing?” he exclaims.  
“What? You were too short to reach the top,” Hide replies, re-securing his grip. Kaneki hisses as his hand squeezes the bruised skin on his hip.  
“Sorry!” Hide exclaims in a panic, moving his hand immediately. “Are you okay, man?”  
“Yeah,” Kaneki lies. “I’m fine.”  
He stretches to put the star on top of the tree, ignoring the fuzziness at the sides of his vision and Hide’s stare boring into him.

\- iv. Headphones -  
Hide wears the headphones Kaneki gave him for Christmas all the time. When they’re together, they rest around his neck. When they’re splitting up sometimes Kaneki will look over and see them nestled into Hide’s unruly nest of hair.  
“You’re gonna get bruises if you keep wearing those everywhere,” he says one day. Hide side eyes him with an unreadable look on his face.  
“Like yours?” he asks.  
Kaneki chokes.

\- v. Nighttime -  
“You all comfy?” Hide asks, tossing a pillow to Kaneki. He nods, nestling further into the bed.  
“Are you sure your parents don’t mind me staying here?” he asks.  
“They’re out of town, anyway,” Hide replies. “Like usual. And nobody would blame you for wanting to escape your hellhole house.”  
“It’s not so bad,” Kaneki says, but there’s no conviction in his voice and he doesn’t try to act like there is. He just rolls over to face the window.  
“Liar.” It’s soft, and quiet, and full of feelings that they’ve both been avoiding. Kaneki huffs.  
“Am not,” he says, half expecting Hide to drop it. Instead, the bed rustles and dips suddenly. Hide grabs his shoulder and rolls him over by force.  
“Yes, you are,” he growls. Kaneki can see years of worry and fear and anger in his eyes, and knows that he’s not much better.  
“You think you’re some kind of ninja, Kaneki?” Hide continues, his voice rasping and raising in volume. “You think I don’t see it? How long did you think you could keep on pretending that you were fine?”  
“I _am_ fine,” Kaneki snaps. “And it’s none of your business.”  
“You _are_ my business!” Hide yells. “You’re my best friend! I’m just supposed to let her destroy you day by day and be _fine_ with it?”  
“I can deal with my own life, Hide,” Kaneki snaps. “I won’t put you in danger, too, so just _stay out of it_!”  
“You don’t deserve this!” Hide exclaims. “You deserve so much better than to be beaten to death by your stupid aunt! Just admit she’s hurting you already!”  
“She’s _not_.”  
Hide glares. “You’re lying! I know what she does to you, and I know you’re afraid of what she’ll do to you if you tell! But we could go to the police, get her arrested…”  
“No!” Kaneki yells. “No, Hide, I’m not doing that.”  
“Why not?! She hits you, she _starves_ you, she threatens to _kill_ you, and for what reason? What did you ever do to her, huh? _Tell me!!_ ”  
Kaneki stares in shock as a tear trails down Hide’s cheek, his jaw, landing softly on his hand. He’s never seen his best friend cry before.  
“Tell me,” Hide pleads, “and I’ll let it go.”  
Kaneki swallows thickly. “She’s the only family I’ve got left,” he says. “So please…”  
Before he has a chance to finish, Hide’s up and at the door. “You never did anything,” he says, turning the handle.  
And with that, he’s gone.

**Author's Note:**

> you can't fool the hide.  
> Hope you enjoyed.


End file.
